Sunday, April 24, 2011

The long neglect has been tugging at my heart too.
I've been away from metropolitan Mumbai - in smaller, historic, Ahmedabad and how laid back life seems there.
Having lived in Ahmedabad before makes it quite familiar but it still intrigues me and I always discover something new.
This time I stayed in the old quartier of the city, which I've been wanting to do for a while.
In a 'pol' (pronounced pole) (wikipedia) , nestled in the older part of the city, are old heritage structures that seem neglected, their beauty lost on the locals. I was delighted to stay in an Artists' Residency in the pols called the 'Arts Reverie', a restored 'Haveli' of the 1920's.

Living in the pol was like a throwback to my junior school environmental science texts, to the semi rural lifestyles...

women scrubbing clothes & pots and pans, the chime of temple bells, cows parked in the common spaces out side houses (its a common sight in older parts of Indian cities), the local flour mill and tiny grocery shops, a road-side barber, a milk man, and the friendly greetings in the neighborhood; its a self contained microcosm of a city within a city.
I love these slow, kind & humane pockets of the city .. soon to be picture postcards alas as they get swallowed up by 'developers' & metamorphose into anonymous towers of glass & concrete perhaps.

A short walk out into the main street, and voila .. welcome to the impatient honk honk! of noisy fume-burping two-, three- or four-wheelers whose proud owners have junked their bicycles & must show off their new acquisitions.

The markets: now there's a method in their madness. There's everything under the sun & nope google maps won't work, only the locals can tell. Its the fabulous 'GeniusLoci' of the place that leaves its imprint on you. Its a maze of unfolding treasures .. textiles to plastics, hardware, stationery, buttons and pins. I return drenched and tired but its a more fulfilling experience than a trip to the mall. Sure.

More art..

Bold Hussain strokes and color at the "Ahmedabad ni gufa"

The Art Book Centre is a haven for creative readers; rare books on art, history, design and architecture. What makes it interesting is its kitschy front with a million interesting details: calico prints, miniatures, photographs, traditional crafts .. a blast of color.

Its a great place to visit even if you're not buying. I like to observe and feel a place than fill my bags, usually.

Rural Fashion ..

Threads, drapes, people and the street... rural fashion fascinates me...
The clothing is weather-apt and the colors are a joy..
It's highly communicative style and is really really 'sustainable' .. considering how little they own and how long they use it.

My love for India & Italia brings me to this! Cultures, people, color, design and flavour is what I enjoy!
what i do-
i design, i write, i photograph, i
admire, i ponder, i absorb, i learn ,i change, i travel and more. -what crunchyblackant is..
"Moda per caso" fashion by chance, real fashion trends and fashion makers. Its how the wearer wears it or the doer does it.

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Meet me..

My love for India & Italia brings me to this! Cultures, people, color, design and flavour is what I enjoy!
what i do-
i design, i write, i photograph, i
admire, i ponder, i absorb, i learn ,i change, i travel and more. -what crunchyblackant is..
"Moda per caso" fashion by chance, real fashion trends and fashion makers. Its how the wearer wears it or the doer does it.